Lenexa is conducting a rare swap with a local home builder in which the city is getting land for a future city park while the developer gains acreage for a 175-home subdivision next door.
Earlier this month, the Lenexa City Council approved the deal and preliminary plan for the property that will be used for the housing development.
On June 3, the city council voted 7-0 to approve the land swap between the city and Overland Park-based firm Grata Development, as well as rezoning and a preliminary plat for Sunset Canyon, a future single-family home development near Prairie Star Parkway.
Councilmember Chris Herron was absent.
Located in the northwest corner of Prairie Star Parkway and Canyon Creek Boulevard, Sunset Canyon will contain 175 single-family lots on about 82 acres of land.
In order to obtain the land for the development, Grata entered into an agreement with the city for a land transfer, where Lenexa will receive approximately 28 acres of undeveloped land that will be used for a future park, and Grata will gain about 16 acres for Sunset Canyon.
The development will contain multiple types of housing
Sunset Canyon is aimed at individuals and families in different stages of their lives, Travis Schram, Grata’s president, said during the meeting.
“One of the things that we like to do in our developments at Grata is we like to create multiple price points,” he said. “A lot of cities are looking for different price points for their communities, so people can move up to different homes or downsize to different sizes.”
The proposed development includes three types of housing, according to Grata:
- 106 “Ridge” homes that will sit on 70-foot-wide lots and are priced between $600,000 and more than $1 million,
- 51 “Enclave” homes, which are intended for downsizing buyers with tighter spacing on a 54-foot-wide lot, priced between $500,000 to $700,000,
- and 18 “Vista” homes built on a 90-foot-wide lot, that are expected to sell between $1 and $2 million.
The average selling price for an existing single-family home in Johnson County in 2024 was $535,000, while new homes sold at an average of $785,000, according to a revaluation report released earlier this year by the Johnson County Assessor’s Office.
The development will also contain a large covered outdoor area with a pool, fireplace and grilling station, bathrooms, a pickleball court and a playground. In addition, new streets will be built from Prairie Star Parkway on the south, Canyon Creek Boulevard on the east, and 91st Street on the north.
With the city council’s approval, Sunset Canyon is rezoned from agricultural and planned neighborhood commercial districts to a planned residential single-family district.
The project will be developed in six phases. Construction is expected to start later this year, according to Grata.
Grata is under contract to purchase the land from the original property owner, who was unnamed in city documents. They expect to close the deal within the next 45 days, Schram said. Online property records state the owners are Bradley Fire and Dawn Montgomery.
The land swap is a “win-win”
The land swap idea came before the Lenexa City Council in 2024, when previous developers, Lambie Homes and B.L. Rieke Custom Homes, approached the city about a potential trade so they could construct a development that included townhomes and higher density RP-2 zoning, which is not included in Grata’s plans.
Despite city staff like Scott McCullough, the city’s community development director, feeling positive about that trade, the deal ultimately fell through and the developers never closed a deal with the property owner.
Re-approaching the city council, Grata pitched the idea of swapping land so they could construct a development with all single-family homes. Still, the city wanted to be sure the deal was in the best interests of both parties.
“We were very particular about this being a win-win for the development project in the city,” McCullough said during the meeting.
As the two sides discussed the project, they agreed the land swap made sense, McCullough said. As part of that agreement, the city wanted to be sure that it maintained the full frontage of city park land on Prairie Star Parkway, up Cedar Niles Road to 91st Street.
The land the city is receiving from Grata is flat, better for parkland and aligns more with the city’s parks and recreation master plan, allowing for a larger, more continuous park and greenway corridor, said Logan Wagler, Lenexa’s parks and recreation director.
“I believe this provides higher recreational value. I really do. The property that we’re gaining has better topography, has better views and features,” he said during the meeting.
Though no timeframe is given when the parkland will be developed, Wagler said the land the city is receiving will save them money in the long run.
“We’re not just gaining just land, but it’s more programmable land with a much more developable site,” he said. “That’s not only great for park development and opportunities, but it’s going to save costs when we go to develop this property in the future.”
In response, Schram said Grata is excited about both the land swap and building homes in the area.
“We’re really excited about this project. We think it brings a lot of diversity of housing stock, but also some really beautiful lots and people would be really excited to move to Lenexa,” he said.
Residents weigh in
Tracy Thomas, a resident of the neighboring Canyon Creek Point subdivision, thought the land swap was “ideal,” but also expressed the need for the city to stay focused on building a park on the land they’re receiving.
“I have no problem personally with the design of the community. It’s a quality design. It would serve the community very well,” he said. “But we got to do something with this park. It needs to be developed, because if that development doesn’t happen, the ground will be sold to the highest bidder the next time.”
Also a resident of Canyon Creek Point, Steve Bennett said he thought the plan was better than what was previously proposed, but wants the developer to do much engagement with surrounding neighborhoods.
“Most big developments will meet with the adjacent neighborhoods to at least get some input from us, and so we can see more than what we’re seeing here tonight. That hasn’t happened, and that’s not a knock on you, but it is something that’s important,” he said.
City council offers praise
Acknowledging some of the frustration from neighboring subdivisions, Councilmember Courtney Eiterich said ultimately, the swap is good for the parkland, trail system and the city.
“I think that this is a right fit, and I plan to support it,” she said.
Noting the terrain that Grata is receiving, Councilmember Chelsea Williamson praised Grata’s proposed plans.
“I wanted to thank you for really looking at our comprehensive plan and our Parks (and Recreation) Plan and taking those into consideration. That’s very thoughtful,” she said to Schram. “I think the proposal that you’ve come up with, considering the tricky topography and with the stream corridors and (you’re) willing to do a land swap with the city, I thank you for that, and it’s nice to see some single-family subdivisions being proposed, particularly with a diverse range of house types.”
Agreeing with the city’s “win-win” approach, Councilmember John Michael Handley said it’s a plan where both sides win.
“This is not a zero sum game where someone has to lose for someone to win,” he said. “This swap is beneficial for everyone, and we have the time to plan out what that park looks like. And that also means that there’s opportunities for engagement with you all as that happens.”
Go deeper: Lenexa could get parkland out of rare land swap with developer
